Jose Duran, president of the Anaheim Police Association, speaks in favor of a “gate tax” on Disney theme park admissions during public comments.
By DUANE J. ROBERTS Editor & Publisher
On Tuesday, October 28th, the Anaheim City Council rejected a push by the Anaheim Police Association—the union representing 400 sworn personnel employed by the city’s police department—to place a measure on the ballot that would impose a “gate tax” on Disney theme park admissions.
Despite a parade of police union leaders speaking out in favor of the measure during public comments, proponent Councilwoman Natalie Rubalcava, whose political campaigns have been heavily funded by law enforcement, was forced to acknowledge that it was “dead on arrival” after a lengthy debate.
In addition to Gaby Sutter, the Anaheim Police Association’s executive director, others from that organization who addressed the council included Jose Duran, the president, Tony Lee, its vice president, and Cesar Aguilar and Breana Castro, members of their political action committee board.
Photos obtained by The Anaheim Investigator that were used in last year’s campaign opposing Rubalcava’s recall show Duran, Lee, Aguilar, Castro, and other police union leaders posing with the councilwoman; many also hold signs with the words, “Anaheim’s First Responders Say Vote No Recall.”
Rubalcava with police union leaders (circled in red) who spoke at the meeting.
Like most surveys, it reflected the needs and priorities of those who funded it, and a number of questions used wording which favored positions aligned with the police union, such as repeated items about expanding Anaheim Police Departmentstaffing levels and boosting pay and benefits of officers.
In a brief conversation, Rubalcava denied being privy to any details of their survey before requesting that an item about the “gate tax” be placed on a future city council meeting agenda. However, she admitted that they, along with another union, were part of an “emerging coalition” supportive of it.
But this issue is far from settled. Although the city council opted not to put the measure on the ballot at this time, members voted 5–2 to continue the item so it can be included in a wider review of revenues, the budget cycle, and prospective city projects. A date for that discussion has not yet been set.
Campaign photo of Natalie Rubalcava with Jose Duran (second left), president of the Anaheim Police Association, and three of their board members (right).
By DUANE J. ROBERTS Editor & Publisher
The Anaheim Police Association—the union representing 400 sworn personnel employed by the city’s police department—commissioned a survey in mid-August asking residents if they supported “new taxes” on Disney theme park admissions providing the revenue would “help with long-term budget issues without cutting services.”
The survey in question, of which a link was texted directly to the smartphones of individuals that The Anaheim Investigator characterizes as being “high propensity voters,” was conducted through Qualtrics, a platform frequently used by political strategists to gauge public opinion on candidates, issues, or ballot measures in real-time.
Although the Anaheim Police Association has not yet publicly endorsed a “gate tax,” evidence indicates they, along with the Anaheim Municipal Employees Association, are part of an “emerging coalition” supportive of it–something proponent Councilwoman Natalie Rubalcava acknowledged in a brief conversation earlier this month.
Screenshot of completed survey questions on new taxes.
Like most surveys, this one was designed to reflect the needs, wants, and priorities of those who funded it, and a number of questions used wording that favored positions aligned with the police union, such as repeated items about expanding Anaheim Police Departmentstaffing levels and boosting the pay and benefits of officers.
Moreover, some questions exposed matters hidden from public view, such as an ongoing dispute with The Walt Disney Company over how cops assigned to patrol their theme parks do their job: “If there is a disagreement over how these officers should enforce the law and public safety at Disney, who should make the decision?”
Respondents were also asked to weigh in on other important issues, including whether or not they believed Disneyland wields “too much influence at city hall,” how millions in surplus funds freed up by paying off infrastructure bonds needs to be spent, and if our police force should “cooperate with federal immigration officials.”
Screenshot of completed survey questions on police staffing.
Because the survey was most likely completed before Councilwoman Rubalcava officially requested the item of a “gate tax” be placed on the agenda of the September 23rd city council meeting, The Investigator approached her to inquire if the police union shared the results with her. She denied being privy to any details.
However, when Rubalcava was asked separately about a message about the “gate tax” she posted to her Instagram account on September 19th and shared with both the Anaheim Police Association and Anaheim Municipal Employees Association, she admitted they were part of an “emerging coalition” that was supportive of it.
The Anaheim Municipal Employees Association has also heavily backed Rubalcava and represents non-sworn personnel at the Anaheim Police Department. Jonnae Barreras, its president, is a senior police analyst who earned $135,953 in pay and benefits last year. Two other members of their board work for the department as well.
It should be noted that Barreras and other top leaders of the Anaheim Police Association are in multiple photos obtained by The Investigator that were used in the campaign to defeat Rubalcava’s recall. Several of them, including her, can be seen holding up signs emblazoned with the words “Anaheim’s First Responders Say Vote No Recall.”
Jonnae Barreras, President, Anaheim Municipal Employees Association.
Tony Lee, Vice-President, Anaheim Police Association.
Steven Dahl, Secretary, Anaheim Police Association.
Michael Fleet, Treasurer, Anaheim Police Association.
For the record, The Investigator made at least three attempts via email to contact Duran and Barreras to ask them about matters that were touched upon in this article. But neither has bothered to respond to our inquiries. Rubalcava–who actually invited us to send her follow-up questions–has not replied to any of our messages either.
Concept image of what a gondola stop at Anaheim GardenWalk, located on the northside of Katella Avenue, might look like.
By DUANE J. ROBERTS Editor & Publisher
Internal emails, contracts, and PowerPoint presentations obtained by The Anaheim Investigator through the public records act reveal city planners are exploring the option of constructing an aerial gondola system to connect the Platinum Triangle with the Anaheim Resort in preparation for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
While the final route has yet to be decided, there seems to be interest in an alignment running east-west along Katella Avenue featuring six stops. At Harbor Boulevard, the line would split into two branches, each ending near the eastern entrances of Disneyland, California Adventure theme parks and the Anaheim Convention Center.
The Katella Avenue route for the proposed gondola system.
Emails reviewed by The Investigator show Jeral Poskey, CEO of Swyft Cities, and Clay Griggs, one of the firm’s co-founders, have already discussed their gondola concept with “key stakeholders” such as The Walt Disney Company and OCVibe, a $4-billion mixed-use district being developed on 100-acres of land surrounding the Honda Center.
In a March 5th message Griggssent out to several city planners working with him on this matter, he emphatically boasted that “our meeting earlier with OCVibe went very well,” hinting they were quite supportive of it. “They will be sending over plans for the parking garage; they are currently envisioning our maintenance facility on the top floor.”
Indeed, a floor plan created by OCVibe and reproduced in a PowerPoint slide demonstrates their commitment to Swyft Cities isn’t just limited to offering space for a “maintenance facility,” but a control center, charging bays, and even a boarding station–all within walking distance of the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center.
OCVibe floor plan for a gondola maintenance facility.
Concept image of gondolas next to OCVibe parking garage.
During initial talks with Swyft Cities, city planners were told that towers erected to hold the gondola cables in place could be specially customized to resemble the Los Angeles Angels’ iconic “Big A” logo—an idea which taps into Anaheim’s distinct character as being the only city in Orange County that hosts a major league baseball team.
Two design renderings the firm created not only contrast the scale and form of an imagined “Angels” tower with a “standard single” tower but also provide a birds-eye glimpse of how it might actually appear in real life facing west on Katella Avenue toward the Anaheim Convention Center and California Adventure theme park.
However, building a gondola system along Katella Avenue might be problematic. As Poskey himself acknowledged in an email, there are “palm trees”–literally hundreds of them. Many would have to be removed to make way for the towers, and it is not inconceivable that could generate opposition from both residents and hoteliers alike.
“Angels” tower vs. “Standard Single” tower.
Concept image for a gondola system using “Angels” towers.
Last December, Swyft Citiesshared a PowerPoint presentation indicating that their gondola system—comprising of a fleet of around 35 “pods”—could be implemented at an estimated cost of roughly $33 to $37 million. This equated to just under $11 million per mile, subject to variation based on final design and alignment considerations.
Estimated cost for a 3.5-mile route last December: $37 million.
Estimated cost for a 3.8-mile route in July: $125.7 million.
As of today, no source of funds has been identified to pay for this system. However, one slide included in the July PowerPoint presentation says that financing could come from public-private partnerships, grants, and the California Infrastructure & Economic Development Bank, a public entity owned and operated by the state.
Emails reveal city planners here reached out to their Irvine counterparts to learn more about it. “I wanted to check in to see if you have cost estimates or any other useful information to share in your due diligence on Swyft Cities,” wrote Rudy Emami, public works director, in a March 11th message to Sean Crumby, who held a similar job in that town.
Email inquiry about the gondola project in Irvine.
While “key stakeholders” like OCVibe have quietly expressed enthusiasm for the gondola system, its implementation is not a foregone conclusion. Because Swyft Cities has never delivered a fully operational system, there are concerns about its ability to fulfill its promises–putting taxpayer money at risk of significant cost overruns and system failure.
Mike Lyster, the city’s chief communications officer, told The Investigator that gondolas aren’t the only option being explored to connect the Platinum Triangle and Anaheim Resort: “We continue to look at transportation technology from a half-dozen or more different providers. It would be incorrect to suggest we’re focused on a single one.”
“In the months ahead, we could issue a potential request for information from many different types of transit tech companies out there, including gondola, trackless, autonomous, trams and others,” Lyster added. “We may need a consultant to help with this process … But nothing has been decided, and nothing is scheduled at this point.”
John Carpino, president of Angels Baseball team, at a private event held in Phoenix, Arizona in February 2023.
By DUANE ROBERTS Editor & Publisher
In a recent article published in the Voice of OC entitled, “Who’s on the Hook for Angel Stadium Repairs?,” Hosam Elatar posed several questions to Mayor Ashleigh Aitkenabout issues related to Angel Stadium, including its pending assessment by a private consultant hired by the City of Anaheim. One thing she made perfectly clear: “The Angels have not reached out to me, nor has the city reached out to the Angels.”
However, The Anaheim Investigator has uncovered evidence that Aitken not only secretly met with John Carpino, president of the Angels Baseball team, at a coffee shop in late February, but that the meeting she had with him might have dealt with the Angel Stadium assessment. Why? It was scheduled only thirty minutes before city officials toured the facility with a group of consultants interested in bidding for the job.
Phone text messages The Investigator obtained under the public records act show Carpino initiated contact with Aitken on Thursday, February 16th. “Do you have time for coffee in the next few weeks?” he asked. “Yes, I do. Can you meet me at 8:30 at Bodhi coffee on Monday the 27th?,” the mayor responded. On February 26th, Aitken texted him again to confirm the meeting was still on. “Yes, looking forward to it,” he said.
Aitken confirming meeting with Carpino.
When The Investigator carefully reviewed the February calendar that Mayor Aitken made available to the public which supposedly lists all of the meetings “requested” of her that month, absolutely nothing is mentioned about her having coffee with Carpino on the 27th. During the last week, she stated only two things occurred: a city council meeting and a meeting with “Disneyland representatives.”
No mention of Carpino meeting in the mayor’s calendar.
It isn’t a coincidence the secret meeting that Aitken had with Carpino at the Bodhi Leaf CoffeeTraders shop in Orange was scheduled at 8:30 a.m. on February 27th. Approximately thirty minutes later, a group of consultants invited by the City of Anaheim gathered under the “Big A” sign to do a tour of Angel Stadiumto bid on “a property condition assessment” of that facility. A sign-in sheet recorded that 25 persons attended.
Partial screenshot of website listing Angel Stadium tour.
Furthermore, several letters show that just days before their meeting, both Carpino and ArentFox Schiff LLP, a prestigious law firm retained by the sports team, demanded that the city cancel the tour of Angel Stadium, asserting it was a violation of the lease agreement–a claim vigorously rejected by City Manager James Vanderpool and City Attorney Robert Fabela. Carpino made sure to copy his letter to Aitken.
So far, the mayor hasn’t responded to questions The Investigator sent regarding the secret meeting she had with Carpino in late February. But perhaps it should be noted these types of behind-the-scenes political maneuvers with executives of the Angels Baseball team are part of the reason why former Mayor Harry Sidhu got into trouble with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was forced to resign his seat.
Below are letters exchanged in February between representatives of the Angels Baseball team and the City of Anaheim regarding the tour of Angel Stadium.
The Disney Skyliner aerial gondola system at Walt Disney World in Florida connects EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and several large hotels.
By DUANE ROBERTS Editor & Publisher
The City of Anaheim is considering an aerial gondola system that would carry touriststo Walt Disney theme parks and the Anaheim Convention Center, according to a copy of a seven-page document The Anaheim Investigator obtained through a California Public Records Act request. The document in question, entitled “Anaheim Resort Mobility Plan–Key Recommendations,” reflects a radical departure from what was previously reported: that the city was primarily focused on building a network of streetcar lines to connect the Platinum Triangle and Anaheim Resort.
Though this document mostly consists of mundane proposals to ease traffic congestion, it contains a startling revelation. On the first page, under the subheading “Transit,” one key recommendation is to create an “Express Gondola Service–two routes from ARTIC,” the city’s main bus and train terminal. The first route would “align with Disney Way and potentially connect to the proposed pedestrian bridge at Harbor/Disney,” a stop within walking distance of Disneyland and California Adventure theme parks. The second would “provide access to the convention center.”
A map that was included, entitled “Transit Recommendations Overview” and marked “DRAFT,” is also revealing. Not only does it offer a visual representation of where two routes of the proposed aerial gondola system would go, but it mentions “Planned Streetcar Stops” without showing where that line will be. But The Investigator believes, based on circumstantial evidence, that the streetcar is being referred to euphemistically as the “Potential At-Grade Transit Connection.” It would travel east and west along Katella Avenue, from ARTIC to Harbor Boulevard.
Map shows two routes of the proposed aerial gondola system.
The Georgetown-Rossyln Gondola project in Washington, D.C.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, all discussions about transit options to connect the Platinum Triangle and Anaheim Resort either slowed down or were put on hold. Everything came to a standstill late last year when the U.S. Department of Transportation rejected a request by city staff for $2.379 million in BUILD grant program funds to pay for planning of a streetcar. Nevertheless, as more people get vaccinated and life returns to “normal,” this matter will soon come back to life. But for now, we know that streetcars aren’t the only things being planned for.
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